K-pop star Kino on going solo, his new album and surviving the gruelling K-pop training schedule
- Kino, who has been in the music industry since he passed an audition aged 12, was a member of boy band Pentagon for seven years, until 2023
- He has since gone solo, formed his own entertainment agency, is in the middle of an Asian tour, and has his first solo album coming out
Everybody has their own take on K-pop. Some cannot get enough of it. Others discount it, saying they cannot differentiate between individual singers and groups.
It’s hard to argue against the fact that it has gained international success – and there is no denying the gruelling process of becoming a K-pop idol.
For 26-year-old Kang Hyeong-gu, better known by his stage name, Kino, the journey has not been smooth, predictable or full of success – he has been in the music industry for nearly half of his life, experiencing highs and lows.
There is one constant, however. “I can’t remember a time in my life when I was not dreaming of becoming a singer,” Kino tells the Post in the office of Naked, his one-man entertainment agency.
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‘I just want to be myself’: K-pop idol Kino talks solo music career and one-man agency
